Fiberoptic illuminators are often designed to accept and operate with various types of standard fiberoptic cables. A number of manufacturers presently provide such cables. Conventional illuminators often employ a rotatable turret having a plurality of ports. Each port is configured to accept the end fitting of a corresponding brand of cable.
Currently, it is very difficult to determine at a glance which illuminator cable port will accept a particular type of cable end fitting. As a result, time delays are experienced when medical personnel attempt to attach a particular cable to the correct port of the illuminator turret. Such delays are especially likely when untrained personnel are utilizing the equipment. Complicating the situation is the fact that the illuminator port and/or the cable end fitting may be damaged when the personnel attaching the cable attempts to force the cable's end fitting into an incorrect non-matching port. This can necessitate expensive equipment repairs. The illuminator and the cable may be unavailable for an extended period, which can cause serious inconvenience to the hospital, clinic or doctor's office owning the equipment. Medical personnel can also be injured when improperly attempting to force a cable end fitting into a non-mating illuminator port.